


Cold Comfort

by manily



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Anna can't handle, Derps in love, Except one doesn't realize that, F/M, Happy Ending, Possible cameos of Rapunzel and Flynn, Relationship complications, Slow Burn, We're on a break Kristoff!, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-28
Updated: 2014-01-28
Packaged: 2018-01-10 08:12:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1157214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manily/pseuds/manily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once, she thought she'd found love.  And when Hans betrayed her, she found love a second time.  </p><p>... Hadn't she?</p><p>Or was it true?  Was she truly as foolish and desperate for love as he'd said she was?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Comfort

What did she know about true love?

Nothing she supposed.

Once, she'd been certain of her heart and even through despair and betrayal, she hadn't learned her lesson. Her idea of what true love was meant to feel like had never quite changed despite the fact that the man had. From Hans' tightly clipped steps down the hall to the burst of flame and warmth and the concerning dribble of one melting snowman, the cold clasp around her heart and through it had subsided with the possibility of someone else loving her. 

Kristoff.

Kristoff loved her.

It was all that had mattered and rightfully so. But in the end, it wasn't Kristoff's love that had saved her at all. Instead, she'd saved herself and it made her think, maybe, her sister had been right all along. She'd been wrong at every turn when looking to melt the ice in her heart; Hans, Kristoff, they'd both been her outlet, her perceived saviors and yet, when it came to actually finding an act of true love, she'd simply stumbled into it as she was, unfortunately, accustomed to doing.

So what did she know?

She shook her head and stood straighter, her shoulders squared and trembling. 

She knew she hadn't been fair.

Minutes into their initial trek up the mountain, she'd managed to scuff up his sled with snow lined boots and offhandedly, supply the fact that she was engaged. Engaged to a prince. Almost the entirety of them knowing each other, she'd been one of two. A pair. Attached. She had been meant for someone else and yet, when Hans left her locked in that room, she'd had enough strength in her to replace him. Just like that. 

Arguably, she'd had a good reason to set her sights on Kristoff, but even when the eternal winter melted beneath the summer sunshine, she'd continued the charade. She'd taken his hand and smiled and laughed and tipped her head up to meet his bend.

Did she truly love him or was she getting caught up in the idea of someone wanting her?

She'd done it once; enough to accept a marriage proposal in the span of one evening. So Kristoff, who was now always so gentle and careful and caring toward her, who had just been a means to an end when finding Elsa and marrying Hans had occupied her every waking moment – 

He deserved better.

She'd never looked at him twice, not until after...

It didn't matter that – now – she found herself daydreaming about his smile or laughing to herself about his conversations with Sven or wanting to track him down to let him wrap his arms around her and have her nestle in close to the seemingly endless warmth of his chest. Because it hadn't begun that way and she couldn't even be certain her feelings were genuine. She'd been wrong before and she was just... Anna. Silly, clueless, desperate Anna.

So it didn't matter.

Didn't matter that those usually bright eyes were dull with shock and horror, that his mouth fumbled and hung open, as though the ability to formulate any word had been so utterly ripped from him. The strong line of his shoulders was off-kilter and broken with a slump, but Anna stopped looking and cowered with feigned aloofness by shifting her gaze just so, staring distractingly at the sled she'd gifted him a mere month ago.

It was for the best.

It was for the best.

He'd be happier with someone – 

Who wouldn't have overlooked him from the start. Who wouldn't have, unintentionally, made him the second choice.

Someone who wasn't her.

“I'm – sorry.” The words were thick on her tongue and she cleared her throat to dislodge them, peeking up at him despite better judgment. Right. She lifted her chin and slid her gaze to the side once more. “But I can't. It's not – right. I, erm, I hope you understand.” And while she was certain he didn't, she scurried away nonetheless, leaving behind what she hoped wouldn't be a mistake.

But with the cold thump of her heart beating heavy and fast in her chest, akin to something she'd felt weeks ago, it was difficult to keep that confidence, even when keeping her escape was.

**Author's Note:**

> All right. I realize it's Disney, but I found it a little sad - and abrupt - how Anna traded Hans in for Kristoff. I know, I know, Hans was a jerk and Kristoff is adorable with Anna, but we never really got to see them fall in love. It just sort of happened. One second they're bros and the next they're the main pairing of the movie.
> 
> So.
> 
> Add in some psychological bruising from Hans and let's see if these two manage to work things out in a less instant way. 
> 
> And as always - comments & kudos are ❤


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